Your Comprehensive Guide to Fall’s Biggest Trends

Fall 2017 was no different. Every new season of fashion has its own visual language. Designers played with bold colours, nostalgic patterns, dramatic outerwear, and luxe fabrics, creating a season that was all about lots of personality and practicality.

One of the hottest trends was power red. Designers delivered the hue on everything from coats and dresses to boots and accessories. Many collections didn’t just use red as an accent but as the basis for an entire outfit. The end result was a bold, much more visible look that set itself apart from the darker colours that have traditionally been associated with fall.

Plaid was another big thing. Plaid has gone in and out of style for years, but fall 2017 brought a new take. Designers moved plaid away from its traditional associations with school uniforms or grunge and put it on coats, trousers, suits, and even dresses. The pattern could be styled as a statement piece or worn more like a neutral.

Velvet also remained a key component of the season. The fabric was already being revived, but designers continued to use it for eveningwear, jackets, and tailored pieces. Jewel-toned velvet, specifically, offered a sumptuous alternative to more traditional autumn fabrics.

The outerwear was all about warm pieces with visual flair. Oversized coats, belted jackets, shearling-inspired textures, and vintage references were everywhere in the collections. Designers also experimented with proportion, sometimes combining large coats with narrow trousers or skirts.

The season’s love of the past was not only in the clothes. Retro hats and vintage-inspired accessories appeared on the runway, and old-fashioned Victorian-style collars added a vintage touch to otherwise modern ensembles. These details showed how designers were referencing history without necessarily quoting it literally.

Brown was another big colour story this season. Chocolate and other warm browns were offered as an alternative to the black and grey that had been so ubiquitous in previous seasons. Brown was particularly adept with fall fabrics like velvet, wool, and corduroy.

There was an experimental feeling to the season as well. Sheer fabrics, glittering shoes, and oversized scarves gave consumers ways to incorporate runway ideas into their wardrobes without totally remaking their closets.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about fall 2017 was how many seemingly different trends people could mix. You can wear a plaid blazer with a red accessory. Denim goes well with a velvet jacket. Minimalist shoes can modernize a vintage-inspired coat.

That flexibility made the trends more accessible off the runway.

But ultimately Fall 2017 was less about sticking to one particular look and more about remixing familiar ideas in new ways. Bold colours, nostalgic prints, luxe textures, and statement outerwear gave the season its identity.

The most significant lesson for anyone looking back on the period is that fashion trends don’t exist in isolation. They are interlinked, influencing one another and personal as individuals apply them to their closets. The Autumn 2017 collections were only the beginning.